Meet The New Guys: Marc Rzepczynski

Marc Rzepczynski — nicknamed “Zep” or “Scrabble” due to his difficult to spell last name — is a 34 year old left handed reliever. The 2011 world series champion was signed to a minor league deal by the Blue Jays this past offseason, and is expected to compete for the lefty role out of the bullpen with Mayza out for the 2020 season.

Rzepczynski signing with the Blue Jays is actually a reunion for the ten year veteran. In the 2007 draft, the Blue Jays drafted Zep in the 5th round. He quickly made it to the majors, debuting with the team in 2009 as a starter before being transitioned to the bullpen full time in 2011. He departed the team in 2011 via trade, as the Cardinals acquired the lefty to bolster their bullpen for the world series run (and eventual championship). Over his career, Rzepczynski has pitched for seven teams, the most recent being the Indians in 2018.

Over the lengthy career of Rzepczynski, he has pitched for a 3.89 ERA with a WHIP sitting just under 1.500 at 1.436. Zep is sometimes known as an AL specialist, keeping a 3.64 ERA with his AL clubs, and falling to a poor 4.67 as a member of the NL. Although this could be advantageous for Toronto, his dependability and reliability comes into question because of his age and recent performance. He was unable to make a big league appearance in 2019, and his 2018 season finished rather poorly with a high 6.97 ERA in only 10.1 innings. Despite the recent track record, Rzepczynski managed to impress in his limited spring training appearances, maintaining a 0.00 ERA across 3.2 innings. He also didn’t allow a single hit, and gave up only one walk.

For a team badly in need of a lefty, Rzepczynski is an under the radar, and necessary pickup. In this low risk deal, he can be a critical piece of this team once the season gets underway. With Panonne officially being optioned to AAA, his odds of an MLB return look good, and if he continues his strong spring training performance into the season, he can be a great option in a bullpen with extreme uncertainty.